Kenya tax, payroll and business guides

Plain-English articles on Kenyan taxes, payroll and compliance.

• 17 Oct 2026 How to check your NSSF, SHIF and Housing Levy are actually being paidStatutory deductions come off your payslip every month, but that does not prove they reached the right fund. Here is how to check each one and what to do if money is missing.
• 17 Oct 2026 Sick, maternity and paternity leave in Kenya: your rights and payHow much sick leave, maternity leave and paternity leave the Employment Act gives, how it is paid, and what employers should record and budget for.
• 16 Oct 2026 Probation, employment contracts and notice periods in KenyaWhat the Employment Act says about written contracts, probation length, notice for monthly and daily paid staff, and what to check before you sign.
• 15 Oct 2026 How to claim a PAYE refund from KRA: causes, steps and timelinesWhy employees overpay PAYE, how to confirm it on your annual return, and the steps to request a refund from KRA, with the records to keep.
• 14 Oct 2026 Personal relief and other tax reliefs for employees in KenyaWhat personal relief, insurance relief, the housing levy and SHIF deductions do to your PAYE, with a worked example and a checklist of what to claim.
• 10 Oct 2026 How to spot mistakes on your payslip: eight common errorsWrong NSSF limits, missing relief, SHIF on the wrong base and other common payslip errors, and how to raise them with your employer.
• 10 Oct 2026 What to do when your employer does not remit your PAYEHow to check whether your employer is paying your PAYE, NSSF and SHIF, what your rights are and how to report non-payment.
• 10 Oct 2026 Annual leave rights and leave pay in KenyaHow much leave you are entitled to, how it builds up, what happens to unused days and how leave pay is worked out when you leave a job.
• 10 Oct 2026 Tax when you have two jobs: how PAYE works for a second salaryWhy a second job is taxed without personal relief, why the combined tax can fall short and how to settle the balance in your annual return.
• 10 Oct 2026 How to read your payslip line by lineWhat every line on a Kenyan payslip means, from basic pay and allowances to PAYE, NSSF, SHIF and the Housing Levy, and what to check each month.
• 10 Oct 2026 Overtime pay rules and tax in KenyaHow overtime is paid at 1.5 and 2 times the hourly rate, how to work out the hourly rate and how overtime is taxed as part of your pay.
• 10 Oct 2026 Pension contributions and tax relief for employeesHow NSSF and registered pension contributions reduce your taxable pay, the monthly limit and how to use it to lower your PAYE.